Addiction To Technology And Children: A Growing Problem
Addiction to technology can become a big problem for children. It can turn into a disease even for an adult who has already developed his cognitive abilities and realizes that these excesses are not normal.
In children, addiction is even more concerning as they have not fully developed their cognitive abilities. There are cases of children as young as 8 with serious addiction problems caused by the use of technological tools.
Technology offers a world of visual and auditory stimuli that are very attractive at any age, even more so for the little ones. However, let’s not forget its usefulness: it can make life easier if used in moderation and in a sensible way.
It is also true that technology can be transformed into a valuable ally when you want to make children happy. It allows them to have fun, educates them and helps development when used safely.
How to tell if your child is addicted to technology
It is easy to find out if your child is addicted to technology: just observe him when he is playing with his smartphone or tablet and when he is without.
When you notice that the child begins to use technology in a compulsive and anxious way, when you realize that his is no longer a fun but has become an out of control need, if he tries to calm down using technological devices it means that this child has a problem.
There are also children who grow up in uncommunicative environments and the use of technology is not addictive for them but it is the only way they have to express themselves. Thanks to its use they are able to improve their self-esteem and not feel alone in an environment that tends to isolate them.
Attention should be paid to those children who have limitations in using technology and do not respect them, disobey them, do not consider other ways to have fun and neglect their responsibilities to play with tablets, smartphones or computers.
Recognize the addiction to technology
To recognize a child addicted to technology you need to be able to recognize some specific symptoms and if the problem goes beyond your knowledge and management skills, you need to contact a specialist:
- See if the child prefers the use of technology to any other game or way of having fun
- Notice if the times for eating, sleeping and going to school are no longer respected
- Check if the dialogue with the child is less and less and if sometimes he puts up barriers to avoid it
- Observe how he reacts when talking about technology with him: if he appears frustrated or bored there may be some problems
- If he lies or fails to tell the truth to justify his behavior, it can lead to an addiction.
What to do when a child is addicted to technology
It is not easy to help a child addicted to technology. Banning it doesn’t help, on the contrary, it gives rise to feelings of anger, distance, misunderstanding and pain. The goal is for him to recognize that he has a problem in order to help him deal with it.
A good alternative is to gradually introduce activities to do with parents or friends that may be interesting and that take them away from technology. In this way the attention will be removed from technological devices and replaced with new opportunities for fun.
It is necessary to give precise rules and timetables that the child must respect. We must not demonize the use of technology but not allow its abuse. It should only be used in a sensible way to ensure that it is something more in the daily life of the child and no longer the center.
When a child is addicted to technology, it is necessary to involve all those close to him in the growth. It will be useful to talk with teachers, friends and family to ensure that the child can see for himself the problem he has and can increase his cognitive skills.
Lastly, if everything that has already been done does not solve the problem, there will be a need to contact a professional, a child psychologist who is able to treat the addiction to technology of the child.
